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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28451517">Telling tales</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Me_Myself_and_I_1885/pseuds/Me_Myself_and_I_1885'>Me_Myself_and_I_1885</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, One Shot, The Tale of the Three Brothers (Harry Potter), Tumblr: ImaginexHobbit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:35:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28451517</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Me_Myself_and_I_1885/pseuds/Me_Myself_and_I_1885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One Shot based on this imagine from imaginexhobbit: Imagine sharing Earth's mythology and folklore to the elves, leaving them confused but intrigued and wanting more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Folklore and mythology</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This One Shot was based on the following imagine:<br/>https://imaginexhobbit.tumblr.com/post/176994124519/imagine-sharing-earths-mythology-and-folklore-to</p><p>Please note that English is not my first language. I double-checked everything, but I cannot promise that grammar and punctuation mistakes didn't slip past me. Constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.</p><p>Finally, I obviously don't own Lord of the Rings. I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reader tells the three brothers about various bits of folklore and mythology from around the world.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>talan = a living place for the Elves of Lothlórien, built in a Mallorn tree</p><p>hanar = brother</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You had been in Lothlórien for a while now and this evening, you found yourself visiting with Haldir, Rúmil and Orophin. The three brothers – specifically Rúmil, if truth be told – were always curious about the things you told them about your world. The four of you were sitting cross-legged in a circle on the brothers’ <em>talan.</em></p><p>Right now, all three brothers were looking at you with identical – and hilarious – expressions of complete horror.</p><p>“Did I understand you correctly?” Haldir asked. “In your world, Elves are silly stupid creatures the size of a thumb?”</p><p>“Yep,” you laughed. “And I haven’t gotten to the <em>really</em> strange things yet.”</p><p>“I’m listening,” Rúmil said with a grin.</p><p>You thought for a moment. “How about the witch Baba Yaga who lives in a house with chicken legs?”</p><p>Rúmil burst into laughter and fell over. “Chicken… Why chicken?!”</p><p>“I have no idea. In another part of my world, there is a story about a princess named Snow White. Her stepmother tried to murder her and wanted to eat her liver and lungs.”</p><p>“That’s disgusting!” Haldir exclaimed.</p><p>“I should mention we tell that story to children.”</p><p>He shook his head. “Men are such strange creatures.”</p><p>“In less gory news, there is a fabled city of gold named Cibola.”</p><p>Orophin perked up. “An entire city made of gold?” You nodded.</p><p>“Better not tell any dwarves about that,” Haldir muttered. You nudged him lightly with a reprimanding expression and he sighed. “Yes, yes, I know.”</p><p>“Oh, and there’s the story of 1,001 nights!” you remembered.</p><p>Rúmil had recovered from his laughing fit and sat back up. “What’s that?”</p><p>“Well, there was this king. His wife was unfaithful, and he had her killed. He was so horrified by her deceit that he ordered to have a virgin brought to him every night. He took his pleasure of the girls and had them killed as well the next morning.”</p><p>Orophin looked shocked. “What a monster!”</p><p>“Why are all the people in your tales so horrible?!” asked Haldir.</p><p>“I don’t know why. But anyway: finally, a girl named Scheherazade decides to become the king’s wife and stop the murders. She starts to tell him stories and every morning, she makes sure to stop at such a thrilling point in the story that the king delays her execution. After 1,001 nights, she has borne him three children and the king grants her mercy.”</p><p>Haldir seemed to think about that. “At least it’s better than having your innards eaten.” You yawned and stretched.</p><p>“Oh, no!” Rúmil cried. “You can’t go yet! Give us one more tale!”</p><p>You were feeling very sleepy, but one story couldn’t hurt. “Let me think,” you said and searched your brain for another peace of folklore or mythology that you could tell the three brothers. “I know! Let me tell you the story of the Pied Piper.”</p><p>Rúmil hugged his knees like a child. Haldir, meanwhile, was clearly not over Snow White because he said, “Please tell me no one gets eaten.”</p><p>“No one gets eaten,” you promised. “The tale takes place in a city called Hamlin. The city was suffering from a rat infestation which the citizens could not contain on their own.”</p><p>Orophin shuddered. “Rats. I hate rats.”</p><p>“One day, a piper appeared, dressed in pied clothing. He promised he could rid the city of the rats and the citizens were more than happy to offer a hefty reward for that service. So, the piper took out his pipe and played a tune.” Rúmil leaned forward, listening intently. “From all nooks and corners and crevices, rats and mice came forth. They swarmed around the piper as if in trance. When the piper declared that no rat had been left in the city, he used his pipe to lead all the rats and mice to the river where they drowned.” Orophin made a relieved sound but you held up one finger. “The story isn’t over. The citizens of Hamlin had not expected the piper to actually succeed and didn’t want to pay the huge amount of money they had promised.” The brothers groaned. “They chased the piper off. But he came back.” You stopped in your tale and grinned to yourself.</p><p>“What happened then?!” Rúmil asked finally.</p><p>You got up. “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Maybe I’ll tell you over the course of the next 1,001 nights.”</p><p>“Come on now!” Rúmil pleaded.</p><p>“Leave it be, <em>hanar</em>,” Haldir said. “Y/N is tired. We can hear the rest tomorrow.”</p><p>You mouthed a “Thank you” because you <em>were</em> very tired by now. Then you wished the three brothers a good night and went to find your bed. As you fell asleep, you thought that you should probably tell them the “Tale of the Three Brothers” from Harry Potter at some point.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Tale of the Three Brothers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The reader goes on to tell the three Elven brothers the tale of the three magical brothers who created the Deathly Hallows.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a few weeks since your last visit to Haldir, Orophin and Rúmil. They had greatly enjoyed the finale of the story of the Pied Piper, but they had been busy since. Winter was coming and supplies had to be brought in before the snow made trade and transport impossible. Now that the snow was here, Lórien had fallen into a calm reverie that you could only describe as a hibernation of sorts.</p><p>Yesterday, Rúmil had come to you to invite you for another visit and you had happily accepted. Now, you were sitting in a circle again and the brothers were waiting for your next story.</p><p>“I have thought of the perfect story to tell you,” you said. “It’s <em>The Tale of the Three Brothers</em>.”</p><p>Orophin seemed delighted at the title. “Let’s hear it!”</p><p>“Very well. Let me see…” You naturally didn’t have your copy of <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</em> with you, so you had to go by memory. “There were once three brothers who walked down a lonely road at twilight. They came to a roaring river, too deep and raging to cross by swimming or wading and too wide to jump the distance. However, by good fortune, the three brothers were wizards. They conjured a bridge that would see them safely to the other bank. As they crossed that bridge, however, a hooded figure stepped in their path.”</p><p>“Where did the figure come from?” Haldir asked surprised.</p><p>“I suppose he appeared out of thin air. You see, the figure was Death himself, who felt cheated, for travellers usually drowned in the river.”</p><p>“Oh!” said Haldir.</p><p>Rúmil’s eyes were big as saucers. “Death incarnate? That’s worse than if Sauron himself had appeared!”</p><p>You nodded. “Truly. And Death was not about to let the incident slide. He would have those souls, and he knew how. He is cunning, after all. He pretended to congratulate the brothers on their success in evading him. For their cunning, they had earned a prize, he claimed. Anything they wished, he would give, and he would let them go.”</p><p>“A bow that never misses,” Orophin said dreamily.</p><p>Haldir disagreed. “I would like the ability to see dangers before they manifest.”</p><p>“The Lady Galadriel can do that,” Rúmil pointed out. “It would be far more useful to have an ability or object that is not yet present in Lórien.”</p><p>“What would you want, then?” you asked.</p><p>Rúmil thought long about that. “If I could speak with mother and father again, just one last time…that would be…nice.” Haldir put a hand on his youngest brother’s shoulder.</p><p>“Well, I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but you might want to reconsider your wishes. The first brother asked for a wand that could not be beat. Death fashioned him one from the branch of an elder tree that stood by the wayside. The second brother asked for the ability to bring back the dead, specifically the girl he had meant to marry before her untimely demise. Death gave him a pebble from the riverbank. He explained that if the brother turned the pebble in his hand three times, the dead person he thought of would return. Finally, the youngest brother had his turn. He was more than suspicious of Death and asked for something that would allow him to walk away without Death following him. Reluctantly, Death handed over his own cloak of invisibility.” With a grin, you tucked at Haldir’s own cloak, which had similar concealing powers.</p><p>“And with that, the three brothers went on their way.”</p><p>“Did the middle brother get his bride back?” Rúmil asked.</p><p>“Was the youngest now immortal, if he could hide from death?” wondered Haldir.</p><p>Orophin chimed in. “And the oldest – did he conquer his foes with the unbeatable wand?”</p><p>“Well, no, no and no. After receiving their gifts, the three parted ways. The oldest brother went to a tavern. Drunk, he loudly boasted of his wand, claiming no one would ever beat him and that he had taken it from Death himself. That night, another wizard snuck into the brother’s room, stole the wand – and cut the brother’s throat for good measure.”</p><p>“Well, that was that, then,” Orophin commented dryly.</p><p>“What about the second one?” Rúmil looked concerned.</p><p>“He went to his home. There, he took out the pebble and turned it three times. His lost bride appeared, just as promised. But she was not truly back. A veil separated her from the living world, and she was woeful and cold. Driven mad with despair, the middle brother took his own life to truly be with her.”</p><p>“Oh, no!” Rúmil cried.</p><p>Haldir looked aghast. “Your stories all include tragedy or horror! You must tell us a joyful tale one of these days.”</p><p>“Without tragedy or horror, there would hardly be a story,” you defended yourself. “No one tells stories about lovers taking strolls through flowery meadows.”</p><p>“That is a fair point,” he conceded. “What of the third brother, then?”</p><p>“He too went home. But due to his invisibility cloak, Death could not find him. The brother lived out a long and presumably fulfilled life. At least he had a wife and descendants. When he was old and felt that his time had come, he passed the cloak on to his son. Only then could Death find him, and the third brother greeted him as an old friend.” You smiled to yourself and decided to quote a line from <em>The Peverell Story</em> by <em>The Butterbeer Experience</em>. “<em>And that was the story of the Peverell brothers. They each made their choice, one wiser than others.</em>”</p><p>The three brothers sitting on front of you thought about the finished tale for a while.</p><p>“I like it,” Orophin decided. “I don’t think I ever heard a tale quite like this.”</p><p>“I wish the middle brother had a kinder fate,” Rúmil said sadly. “He wasn’t boastful like the oldest one. He just wanted his bride back.”</p><p>Haldir agreed. “The oldest was definitely the worst.” Suddenly, a voice called up in Elvish from the foot of the tree. Haldir jumped up. “I’m so sorry, Y/N. We’re expected by the lord and lady. Can you find your own way home?”</p><p>“Certainly. Don’t keep them waiting!”</p><p>With a quick goodbye, the brothers went off and you went back to your room to have a nap after all this talking.</p>
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